Retailer inventory and losses. Shrinkage — or loss due to shoplifting, employee or supplier fraud and administrative errors — cost US retailers an estimated $44 billion in 2014, a 19 percent increase from 2010’s $37 billion, a survey found.

The survey, conducted by the National Retail Federation and the University of Florida, interviewed 100 senior loss-prevention executives from various retail sectors and found inventory shrinkage averaged 1.38 percent of overall retail sales, which stood at $3.19 trillion in 2014.

Shoplifting accounted for the largest portion of the loss at 38 percent, followed by employee theft at 34.5 percent, administrative and paperwork theft at 16.5 percent, vendor fraud or error at 6.8 percent and unknown loss at 6.1 percent.

“The truth is that the industry loses billions of dollars each year at the hands of callous criminals that could be put toward human capital, promotions and other necessary business operations,” said Bob Moraca, the NRF’s vice president of loss prevention.